Light-weight high-strength fabric for fencing protective clothing and preparation process thereof

ABSTRACT

A light-weight high-strength fabric for fencing protective clothing uses UHMWPE fibers with fiber number of 360-420D and high-strength terylene silks with fiber number of 460-540D as raw materials. The fabric is prepared through the steps of batching, twisting, weaving, and after-treatment. The resulting fabric has less defects due to improvements in fabric formula and weaving techniques, etc. The puncture strength of the fabric can reach 3300N, and the mass per unit area can be reduced to 600 g/m 2 .

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the technical field of textilematerial, especially to a light-weight high-strength fabric for fencingprotective clothing and preparation process thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

Fencing has been becoming more and more popular since being an Olympicsport in 1896, and the number of participants has risen in an explosivemanner in recent years. Accordingly, more attention was paid to theresearch about fencing protective clothing. And the technology progressof fencing protective clothing plays an important role in the steadydevelopment of the competitive sport with high risk and strongantagonism.

Desired properties of fencing protective clothing include light weight,high strength, good softness and comfort. In view of the requirements,some products have been available commercially, such as Dyneema fencingclothing from DSM and ALLSTAR fencing clothing. Along with thedevelopment of the sport, however, better performance is in need,especially protective performance and comfort.

As illustrated in CN102090741A, CN102963078A, CN103462276A,CN201869837U, et al, the research to fencing protective clothing atpresent is mainly focused on multi-layer composite fabric. The materialsused in these fabrics usually contain high-strength fibers such asultra-high molecule weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), aramid, andpolypropylene. It is hoped to obtain satisfactory protective performanceand comfort through the adjustment of the structure and material ofmulti-layer fabric. In addition, there are some reports in the newmaterial area. For example, a flexible light liquid, stab-proof materialfor fencing protective clothing is disclosed in CN102692161A, which isformed through the integration of a non-weft cloth of high-strengthfiber, a three-dimensional hollow-structured fabric of high-strengthfiber, and a liquid with shear thickening characteristics by a hotsewing technology.

Limited to the materials and/or process, however, the fabrics mentionedabove are still inadequate in light weight, protective strength,flexibility and comfort. And multi-layer structure relates to morecomplicated production process and higher cost.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a light-weighthigh-strength fabric for fencing protective clothing and preparationprocess thereof. Based on the improvement of the formula and the weavingtechnology, a fabric with high protective strength, low mass per unitarea, soft and comfortable feel is obtained. Only one weaving operationis involved in the preparation process. The fabric of the invention isobviously superior to the existing similar products.

A preparation process of a fabric for fencing protective clothing,UHMWPE fibers and high-strength terylene silks used as raw materials,comprises the following steps:

A) Batching

UHMWPE fibers with fiber number of 360-420D and high-strength terylenesilks with fiber number of 460-540D are selected as raw materials;

B) Twisting

The UHMWPE fibers and terylene silks are twisted, and the degree oftwist is controlled to be 70-100 twists per meter (T/m);

After the twisting processing, the breaking strength of single UHMWPEfiber is 15-20 kg, and the breaking strength of single terylene silk is6-8 kg;

C) Weaving

Weaving is performed by using a double-side circular knitting machine;

The needle array is as follows:

wherein, A and B represent two kinds of knitting needle with differentneedle butt, the needles upper to the horizontal line represent dialknitting needles, and the needles nether to the horizontal linerepresent cylinder knitting needles;

The triangle array is as shown in the following table:

Road Needle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dial A ∧ — — — — — ∧ — B — — ∧ — ∧ — — —Cylinder A Π — — ∧ — ∧ — — B — ∧ — — Π — — ∧

wherein, knit cam “∧” represents that the knitting needle joins in theweaving operation in the manner of full stitch,

tuck cam “Π” represents that the knitting needle joins in the weavingoperation in the manner of half stitch,

flat cam “-” represents that the knitting needle does not join in theweaving operation, the knitting raceways of “A” and “B” is different,and

the number “1-8” represent the roads of feeding yarn;

D) After-Treatment

Successively, the as-obtained fabric in step C) is bleached, dried,treated by a soft liquid, then dried and sized.

In step A) of the present invention, fiber number of the UHMWPE fibersis 360-420 D (i.e. denier), and the density is usually 0.94-0.98 g/cm³.Structure parameter of the fibers is strongly correlated with itsstrength and processibility, and plays an important role in theperformance of the final fabric product. Preferably, fiber number of theUHMWPE fibers is 390-410 D, and the density is 0.97-0.98 g/cm³. It isnot limited that applicable UHMWPE fibers are available commercially,such as Dyneema® from DSM of Netherlands, Spectra® from Honeywell ofUSA, BEST® lylon from Yizheng Chemical Fiber co. LTD of Sinopec.

In step A), fiber number of the high-strength terylene silks is 460-540D, preferably 490-510 D. It is not limited that applicable high-strengthterylene silks can be obtained commercially, such as the productsavailable from Changshu Xieming high-strength polyester co. LTD.

In step B), twisting processing can further enhance the strength of thefibers and silks, and the strength has a great influence on itsprocessibility and the protective strength of the fabric. If thestrength is too low, the protective strength of the fabric can not meetthe requirement. If the strength is too high, it will lead to the lossof processibility and comfort. The strength of the fibers and silksshould match to each other so that the synergistic effect can be ensuredin subsequent fabric tissues. The degree of twist is preferablycontrolled to be 80-90 twists per meter (T/m). After the twistingprocessing, the breaking strength of single UHMWPE fiber and singleterylene silk should be 15-20 kg and 6-8 kg respectively. The term“breaking strength” mentioned here refers to the maximum weight thatsingle fiber/silk can bear before breaking, which can be measured byhanging weights on the fiber/silk.

The weaving mentioned in step C), which is carried out by using acircular knitting machine at room temperature such as 15-25° C., is thekey to achieve the purpose of the invention. The machine used in theweaving process is a double-side circular knitting machine. It is veryeasy for a person skilled in the art to confirm the suitable machinemodel. For example, an existing product with the model 60RG can be used.

During the weaving, as shown above, a cycle consists of 8 roads offeeding yarn, forming a complete weave structure. By changing the ratioof UHMWPE fiber and terylene silk in the roads of feeding yarn, thecomposition of the fabric can be adjusted effectively, and then thephysical property of the fabric is regulated. In consideration of theprotective strength of the fabric, the ratio of UHMWPE fiber andterylene silk in the roads should be more than 3:1 such as 3:1 or 7:1,or the fabric can be made of the UHMWPE fibers entirely. Along with theincrease of the UHMWPE content in the fabric, protective strength of thefabric increases accordingly.

The after-treatment in step D), including the steps of bleaching,drying, treating by a soft solution, drying and sizing, is aconventional technique in the field of textile material. For example,the fabric is bleached at 90-105° C., then goes through a soft solutionat a constant speed after drying. The amount of softening agent in thesoft solution is usually 0.6-1.0% based on the weight of the fabric tobe processed. Subsequently, the fabric is dried and sized at 90-110° C.

Optionally, the preparation process of the invention can comprise otherconventional steps in addition to the steps A-D, such as printing anddyeing, so as to make the fabric product meet the personalized needs ofdifferent customers.

Accordingly, a fabric for fencing protective clothing prepared by thepreparation process mentioned above is provided.

Based on the improvement of the fabric formula and the weavingtechnology, the as-obtained fabric for fencing protective clothing hasno defects of a multilayer fabric. The puncture strength of the fabriccan reach 3300 N, and the mass per unit area can be reduced to 600 g/m².A soft and comfortable feel is realized. Furthermore, only one weavingoperation is involved in the preparation process. The preparationprocess is simple and low-cost.

EXAMPLES

Hereafter, this invention will be illustrated in conjunction withspecific examples, but it is not to be understood that the scope of thisinvention is limited thereto.

The technical parameters that are not specified in the examples can beperformed in accordance with the conventional conditions in this fieldor the requirements of the equipment specification.

Example 1

Fabric I for fencing protective clothing, the preparation processcomprises the following steps:

A) Batching

UHMWPE fibers with fiber number of 400D (BEST® lylon product, 400D/230F,the density is 0.97 g/cm³) and high-strength terylene silks with fibernumber of 500D (purchased from Changshu Xieming high-strength polyesterco. LTD, 500D/144F, FDY) are selected as raw materials;

B) Twisting

The fibers and silks are twisted, and the degree of twist is controlledto be 80-90 T/m;

After the twisting processing, the breaking strength of single UHMWPEfiber is about 18 kg, and the breaking strength of single terylene silkis about 8 kg;

C) Weaving

Weaving is performed by using a double-side circular knitting machine atroom temperature (about 20° C.);

The needle array is as follows:

wherein, A and B represent two kinds of knitting needle with differentneedle butt, the needles upper to the horizontal line represent dialknitting needles, and the needles nether to the horizontal linerepresent cylinder knitting needles;

The triangle array is as shown in the following table:

Road Needle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dial A ∧ — — — — — ∧ — B — — ∧ — ∧ — — —Cylinder A Π — — ∧ — ∧ — — B — ∧ — — Π — — ∧

wherein, knit cam “∧” represents that the knitting needle joins in theweaving operation in the manner of full stitch,

tuck cam “Π” represents that the knitting needle joins in the weavingoperation in the manner of half stitch,

flat cam “-” represents that the knitting needle does not join in theweaving operation,

the knitting raceways of “A” and “B” is different, and

the number “1-8” represent the roads of feeding yarn;

The ratio of UHMWPE fiber and terylene silk in the roads of feeding yarnis 3:1;

D) After-Treatment

The fabric obtained in step C) is bleached at 100° C., then goes througha soft solution at a constant speed after drying. The amount of cationicsoftening agent in the soft solution is 0.8% based on the weight of thefabric to be processed. Subsequently, the fabric is dried and sized at100° C. As a result, white knitted fabric I is obtained.

Example 2

Fabric II for fencing protective clothing: A preparation process isperformed according to example 1, except that the ratio of UHMWPE fiberand terylene silk in the roads of feeding yarn is 7:1. As a result,white knitted fabric II is obtained.

Example 3

Fabric III for fencing protective clothing: A preparation process isperformed according to example 1, except that the fabric is made of theUHMWPE fibers entirely. As a result, white knitted fabric III isobtained.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

A fencing protective clothing of ALLSTAR 800NW, which is availablecommercially, is used as comparative fabric.

Performance Characterization

Puncture strength and mass per unit area of the fabrics of example 1-3and comparative example are tested respectively. The puncture strengthis tested by reference to GB/T 19978-2005, and the mass per unit area istested by reference to GB/T 4669-2008.

The test results are shown in the table below.

Sample Puncture strength (N) Mass per unit area (g/m²) Fabric I 2612 600Fabric II 3117 606 Fabric III 3324 610 Comparative fabric 2193 739

As shown in the table, the fabrics I-III of the present invention havesignificantly higher puncture strength and lower mass per unit area thanthe comparative fabric. And it can be intuitively recognized from thetouch that the fabrics of this invention have better softness and highercomfort level.

In conclusion, the fabric of the present invention can lead to betterprotection performance, lower weight, better softness and higher comfortlevel when it is used for fencing protective clothing. Its applicationperformance is obviously superior to similar products, implying that ithas a broad application prospect in the field of fencing clothing.

1. A preparation process of a fabric for fencing protective clothingwhere UHMWPE fibers and high-strength terylene silks used as rawmaterials, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: (1)Batching UHMWPE fibers with fiber number of 360-420 D and high-strengthterylene silks with fiber number of 460-540 D are selected as rawmaterials; 2 Twisting The UHMWPE fibers and terylene silks are twisted,and the degree of twist is controlled to be 70-100 T/m; After thetwisting processing, the breaking strength of single UHMWPE fiber is15-20 kg, and the breaking strength of single terylene silk is 6-8 kg; 3Weaving Weaving is performed by using a double-side circular knittingmachine; The needle array is as follows:

wherein, A and B represent two kinds of knitting needle with differentneedle butt, the needles upper to the horizontal line represent dialknitting needles, and the needles nether to the horizontal linerepresent cylinder knitting needles; The triangle array is as shown inthe following table: Road Needle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dial A ∧ — — — — — ∧ —B — — ∧ — ∧ — — — Cylinder A Π — — ∧ — ∧ — — B — ∧ — — Π — — ∧

wherein, knit cam “∧” represents that the knitting needle joins in theweaving operation in the manner of full stitch, tuck cam “Π” representsthat the knitting needle joins in the weaving operation in the manner ofhalf stitch, flat cam “-” represents that the knitting needle does notjoin in the weaving operation, the knitting raceways of “A” and “B” isdifferent, and the number “1-8” represent the roads of feeding yarn; 4After-treatment Successively, the as-obtained fabric in step C) isbleached, dried, treated by a soft liquid, then dried and sized.
 2. Thepreparation process of a fabric for fencing protective clothingaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the density of the UHMWPEfibers in step 1 is 0.94-0.98 g/cm³.
 3. The preparation process of afabric for fencing protective clothing according to claim 1,characterized in that fiber number of the UHMWPE fibers in step 1 is390-410 D, and the density is 0.97-0.98 g/cm³.
 4. The preparationprocess of a fabric for fencing protective clothing according to claim1, characterized in that fiber number of the high-strength terylenesilks in step 1 is 490-510 D.
 5. The preparation process of a fabric forfencing protective clothing according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe degree of twist is controlled to be 80-90 T/m in step
 2. 6. Thepreparation process of a fabric for fencing protective clothingaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of UHMWPE fiberand terylene silk in the roads of feeding yarn is more than 3:1 duringthe weaving.
 7. The preparation process of a fabric for fencingprotective clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that theratio of UHMWPE fiber and terylene silk in the roads of feeding yarn is3:1 or 7:1.
 8. The preparation process of a fabric for fencingprotective clothing according to claim 1, characterized in that thefabric is made of the UHMWPE fibers entirely.
 9. A fabric for fencingprotective clothing, characterized in that it is prepared by thepreparation process according to claim 1.